When Emily had dressed tonight, she’d picked out her favorite jeans, T-shirt, and black leather ballerina flats. It never occurred to her to dress up for a rock concert. She thought she looked good, but now she felt underdressed. Five minutes ago, all these women were overdressed.
She avoided looking at Jack because he expected an answer from her. Nicki still talked in her ear going on about how this was the opportunity of a lifetime. He was so hot. Come on, Emi, do this. Live a little. Emily imagined this was the pep talk that Nicki gave herself every time she went trolling for a new guy.
When Emily finally looked up at the stage, Jack stared straight at her. She mouthed no, and inclined her head toward Nicki, as if to say can’t leave my friend.
He smiled and nodded.
Nicki screamed so piercingly loud that heads turned, even with the band playing. The band’s playing. How many songs had she missed?
Nicki barraged her with “Please, please, please, pleeaase? It can be my birthday present. Forever.”
“Nic, come on,” Emily pleaded. “You promised, concert then home.” Emily knew she was running out of arguments, but she wasn’t ready to give in.
The band started the next song, “Time is Up,” which was another one she recognized. Maybe if she pretended that this was settled…
Nicki pouted. “I’ve had a bad week too, you know.”
Oh, fuck. Emily faced Nicki, put her hands on her shoulders, and looked her straight in the eyes. “You promise me, ten minutes then we leave?”
“Yes,” screamed Nicki.
Just. Fucking. Great.
She instantly regretted her decision. Going backstage to meet this guy was insane. Jack McBride was a rock star. It took little imagination to guess what his expectations were, and while Nicki would love to indulge those expectations, Emily sure as hell wasn’t going to.
Emily didn’t have to wait long for Jack to make eye contact again. She gave him a curt nod that she hoped would convey her reluctance.
The next song was hard rock all the way, and since she didn’t want to miss the rest of the concert, she pushed all thoughts of going backstage out of her mind. Maybe he’d forget and move on to someone else. How would they even get backstage, anyway? That settled it. He’d move on to someone else, and this would be fine. He’d want a willing participant, and she was most definitely not willing. She took comfort that rock stars must have fleeting attention spans, and he’d move on to another girl.
chapter
FIVE
Her acceptance had allowed Jack to keep most of his focus on the rest of the gig. As he sang the last chorus of “Rely,” a song he wrote about his dad, he felt triumphant. She was coming backstage. Stunner wasn’t happy about it, but it was a start. He had an ally in her friend. Jack would take advantage of that.
Now that the encore was over, Jack handed his guitar to Holden, grabbed a towel, and headed over to the stairs that led to the arena. He sent Walt to get the ladies.
As he dried himself off, Elliot skulked up.
“You stink, buddy,” he said with a snarky grin.
“I’m surprised you can smell anything but you,” Jack said, waving his hand in front of his nose for emphasis.
“I’m surprised you didn’t run for the showers. Don’t you want to smell nice for the pretty lady?” Elliot snickered.
“Fuck off.” Under his breath, he added, “Pain in the ass.”
Elliot smirked and walked away.
But Elliot was right. Jack should’ve gone to the dressing room to shower, but he wasn’t certain the stunner would wait. After her friend begged, she’d reluctantly agreed. Even from a distance, he could tell she regretted it. What could she be afraid of? Jack was a nice guy. Other bands referred to them as the nice guys in rock and roll. He wasn’t sure they meant it as a compliment, but that’s how he took it—nothing wrong with being nice.
His mom would approve. Jack smiled. He hadn’t seen his family since the quick trip at Christmas. Even though he and Christie had broken up in October, her drama had overflowed and cut his trip short.
Buzz walked over and stood next to Jack. Unlike Elliot, who always had a smartass remark, Buzz remained silent. Jack loved them both. “Great job tonight, man,” Jack said, turning to his friend. “How you holdin’ up?”
Buzz smiled. “Hanging in there.”
His nonchalant response didn’t fool Jack. He knew Buzz struggled, and it was understandable. He elbowed Buzz in the side. “Don’t bullshit me.”
“Okay. I’m having a hard time.” Buzz lowered his eyes. “I’ll call my sponsor when I get back to the hotel.”
Jack elbowed him again. “No shame, man, not with us. We’re family no matter what.” When the guys came out to California to start rehearsal for their tour, Buzz had been excited. He’d been sober for four months, but they’d watched him, looking for any signs that he was using again. They’d have postponed the tour if they’d had to, because nothing was more important than Buzz’s health, but he was doing great. Every night when they’d finished rehearsing, Buzz would go to a meeting. He never missed a day. He was in the best shape of his life. Jack and Buzz had worked out together every day since the tour started, and Jack was proud of him.
Buzz nodded and shuffled off toward the dressing room. Watching him leave, Jack wished he could do more.
As Jack turned back, the stunner strode around the corner, and he was struck again. She was even more beautiful up close. The modest V-neck of her fitted burgundy T-shirt provided a tantalizing peek of flawless skin. Her small waist emphasized the flare of her hips. Jack couldn’t help but imagine her long, slim thighs wrapped around him. Unlike her friend, she wore flats. Jack’s fingers itched to explore every inch of her. His heart pounded in his chest. He’d always enjoyed the chase, and there was no doubt in his mind that the chase was on. Unable to stand still any longer, Jack closed the distance between them.
Before he was able to speak, the pink friend rushed forward. “I’m Nicki and it’s my birthday today.”
“Happy birthday, Nicki, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Jack said, extending his hand. Ignoring it, she grabbed him in a hug and planted a kiss on his lips as her hands trailed down his back. Whoa. He was okay with a kiss on the cheek, but anything else would end the meeting. Jack gestured to security to back off.
The stunner smirked.
Oh God, not another one. He sent her a pleading look which she conveniently ignored by looking around as if she were taking in her surroundings.
When their eyes met again, she took pity on him. She tugged Nicki’s arm. “Nic, come on, give the guy a break.”
Nicki loosened her grip, and Jack disengaged himself from her. Before he could draw a breath, Nicki was talking.
“You guys were great. Best concert ever. I loved that you did ‘Pursuit’ from your first album.” She turned to her friend. “It’s about pursuing your dreams, no matter what. I’m a writer and so is Emily. This was the best birthday present in the history of gifting.”
As Nicki paused for a breath, Jack’s brain tried to catch up. Emily. She had the most vibrant hazel eyes. He stared, but he couldn’t help it; she was stunning.
“Tad, my ex-boyfriend got the tickets,” Nicki said. “He’s my ex-boyfriend because I came home early from a writer’s conference and caught him in bed with another woman. We’d been talking about moving in together.” Nicki looked up at Jack. “Why do guys do stuff like that?”
Before Jack could register she was asking him, Nicki resumed talking. “Then, he had the nerve to call today, demanding his ticket. Can you believe that? And I told him…”
Jack tuned her out. Nicki should’ve been here with a boyfriend. Good for Nicki for ending her relationship with a cheater. And for Jack. He’d never have met Emily if not for the asshole ex-boyfriend. My God, she’s still talking. Jack tried to pick up the thread of conversation. She still rambled on about her ex when she stopped mid-sentence.
The silence was blissful.
Nicki turned to Emily. “But that’s not nearly as awful as what Emily’s—”
Nicki was cut off as Emily’s hand covered her mouth. “Nicki, enough!” Emily shouted. A stunned silence fell over the backstage, and the bustle of activity halted. Emily glared at Nicki, eyes narrowed and lips tight. She was stunning even when totally pissed off. He was surprised to find Nicki had an off button.
“Sounds like your ex is an asshole,” Jack said, trying to defuse the situation.
“Emily said he’s a tool, but asshole works too.”
Noise and movement resumed backstage, but Emily’s hand still hovered around Nicki’s mouth, as if she didn’t quite trust her to stop talking. Emily closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she seemed to have her temper under control and removed her hand.
“Nic, we’ve talked about this. If you want to share your life story with the whole world, that’s fine. It’s not okay to share mine.” Her tone was that of an understanding parent to an errant child. She looked at her friend with sympathy and smiled.
Her smile lit up her face. Jack felt like he’d missed something, which didn’t seem possible, because he was pretty sure he hadn’t blinked in the last thirty seconds. This girl probably didn’t have a fake bone in her body. “You’re better off without him.”
“I know. Emily says the same thing.”
Jack extended his hand to Emily and smiled. “Hi, I’m Jack.”
“Yeah, I got that. Finally.”
They shook hands, and all the tension he’d been holding vanished. Her small hand was soft and warm. He didn’t want to let go, but she tugged her hand, so he did. “So, you’re a writer, too?” Jack asked.
“Yeah. Part-time writer, full-time friend,” Emily said with a cute chuckle. “I have a day job.”
“Emi, you need to quit that job and focus full-time on writing. You’re amazing...” And she was off again.
Emily rolled her eyes and huffed. “Nic, can we leave now? You’ve met Jack. You used up your ten minutes talking him into a coma. It’s time to go.”
Nicki’s pout was impressive, and Jack had seen his fair share. If pouting were an Olympic sport, Christie would’ve taken the gold.
“But it’s my birthday, and I want to meet the rest of the band.” She winked at Jack.
He jumped on the opportunity to not let Emily slip away. He stepped between them and put his arms around their shoulders. “Come on, let’s go.” Jack guided them through the backstage toward the hallway leading to the band’s dressing room. “I’d be happy to introduce you to the guys.”
His sideways glance at Emily confirmed she wasn’t happy about it, but he couldn’t let her go. He wanted to get to know her, but right now, she was hell-bent on leaving.
J
Once they’d cleared the crowded backstage area, Jack’s arms dropped. He was more gentlemanly than expected, and Emily sneaked a sideways peek at him. Damn, he was even better looking up close. His brown hair stuck up in places because he’d used the towel around his neck to dry it. Sparkling deep blue eyes, strong jaw, clean-shaven, athletic build. He was tall, and his low-slung jeans emphasized his height.
Emily noticed a tattoo of sheet music that trailed up his inner left forearm and a Celtic tattoo around his right biceps peeked out from under the short sleeve of his well-fitting black T-shirt. On the inside of his right wrist, he had a tattoo of an infinity symbol with the word family in a fancy script and a shamrock. A few tattoos on a guy were so sexy. No man should be this good-looking. Whatever. She wasn’t in the market anyway. They’d meet the other band members and leave. After all, Nicki promised. As they turned the corner and walked down a long hallway, Emily had a sinking feeling that she was screwed.
Now that it was quieter, Emily heard Nicki talking to Jack, and she probably had been rambling on the whole time. She chuckled. Served him right. Emily had made her disinterest clear, but if he couldn’t take a hint, he was getting what he deserved.
Jack glanced at her with raised brows as she smirked to herself. “What’s so funny?”
Her smile widened. “Nothing.” Drop it, rock star, this won’t end well for you.
“I am best friends and on tour with a world-class smirker, okay. That evil chuckle and smirk meant something.”
Emily stopped walking and faced Jack. “Okay, yeah, you made a deal with the devil, and now you’re paying for it.”
Nicki looked around Jack and pouted. “Hey, am I the devil in this scenario?”
“Yes, you are, sweetie.”
“What’d I do?” Nicki asked, trying to hide a smile.
“What did you do? Do you really think I missed that wink you gave him? Not to mention you can’t even ask that question with a straight face.” Emily infused her tone with disapproval, which Nicki ignored, as usual.
“Busted,” Jack said, grinning.
Nicki swatted his elbow. “Hey, buddy, a little gratitude, I was trying to help you.”
Emily stopped smiling. “Shouldn’t you have been helping me? You knew I wasn’t interested in coming back here, but you played the ‘It’s my birthday and this can be my present forever’ card,” Emily said, mimicking Nicki’s voice. Okay, rock star, the gloves were off.
“Emi, don’t be mad. I thought you could use a little fun.” She wagged her eyebrows up and down a few times and then looked contrite, for Nicki.
Mission accomplished; no one was laughing anymore.
Jack shoved his hands in his jeans pockets and looked down at the floor. When he looked back up at her with a lopsided grin, her heart flipped. “I’m sorry, Emily, I never meant for you to be uncomfortable. I just wanted to meet you.”
Emily was surprised by Jack’s admission. Nicki always meant well, but, ah, hell. “I’m not really mad, Nicki. I just wish you’d think before you act. Now we’re all standing here uncomfortable because you two refused to take a hint. I was trying to be nice about it.” Emily sighed. She considered turning and banging her head repeatedly against the wall. It’d be less painful.
Jack and Nicki shared a look. Nicki went to speak, but for once, Jack beat her to it. “Look,” he said, meeting her eyes, “I don’t want you to be uncomfortable, so if you want to leave, I’ll call Walt and have him escort you safely out of the building.”
Nicki whimpered but said nothing.
And there it was. Screwed. She ignored the fact that his grin and contrite expression caused a tingle low in her belly. She wasn’t ready. After what Sully had done, Emily was afraid she’d never be ready. “Can I talk to you over here for a minute, Nic?” Emily stepped a few feet away.
Nicki followed.
“Listen, sweetie, I know you meant no harm, but I’m not like you. This isn’t my idea of fun. This is awkward.”
Nicki had the grace to look fully contrite. Her brown eyes misted.
Screwed. Emily huffed in defeat. “Remember, you promised, ten minutes, then we leave.”
Nicki’s piercing squeal broke the relative silence. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” She squeezed Emily in a hug.
“Ow,” Emily said, rubbing her arms when Nicki released her from a death grip. She looked over Nicki’s shoulder. “That’s gonna leave a mark.”
Jack rubbed his arms where Nicki had him in her death grip earlier. At five foot three, she was petite but strong.
Jack resumed his position between them, and they continued down the hallway. When they got to the door, Emily gave Nicki a warning look. Jack stepped aside and opened the door. “Ladies.”
Nicki burst into the dressing room and said, “Hi, guys, I’m Nicki, and it’s my birthday today. Who wants to spank me?”
Curt’s blond head perked up. “I’m your guy.” He jumped up, grabbed Nicki around the waist, and in a heartbeat, they were gone.
Emily’s mouth fell open and a sudden coldness traveled through her. What the fuck just happened? Even for Nicki this was outrageous. Her eyes
unfocused as her gaze dropped to the floor. She clenched her fists; she simply couldn’t believe Nicki had just left. Her. Alone. In the band’s dressing room. Her cheeks heated and her heart pounded.
When she looked up, Jack’s expression mirrored her own. He’d no idea what he was getting into when he joined forces with Nicki. She should let him off the hook. Everyone stared at her, but no one spoke.
The coldness evaporated as anger took over. Pushing her sleeves up her arms, Emily surveyed the room. It was larger than she expected. The air was warmer than the hallway and smelled a little stale. Bottles of water were on a table in the corner, and a blue bag sat on the floor by the door. The green carpet was faded in spots, but the black couch and matching chairs were relatively new. The only other door led to the bathroom, and there were no windows. A bead of sweat trickled between her breasts.
Freshly showered, his longish black hair curling around his face and not giving a fuck, Elliot sat in a chair with his legs stretched out in front of him. His dark eyes seemed sad. Buzz sat in a chair opposite Elliot. He’d walked out of the bathroom toweling his hair dry when Nicki had burst through the door. He still held the towel in his hands.
She looked back at Jack, his brows drawn together.
The door was still open, and Emily sensed someone there, but unless it was Nicki, she didn’t give a fuck who it was. “That’s it. I’m finally gonna do it. I’m gonna kill her.” The words fell out of Emily’s mouth, like she had no control to stop them. “I’ll drop a truck on her from a crane. Maybe put her in a giant catapult and shoot her across the planet. Or I could tie her to the frickin’ train tracks and watch as she’s sliced into itsy-bitsy pieces. Yeah, that’s what I’ll do.” She felt better now that she had a plan.
Jack waved whoever was there away as he hustled past Emily and shut the door.
“Does anyone know if the company from the cartoon is still in business?” Emily asked, her eyes scrunched closed. “I really need to get my hands on those contraptions. They never worked out well for the coyote, but I’ll be smarter. I won’t be anywhere near them when setting them off.” On a deep exhale, Emily opened her eyes.
With You: A Rock Star Romance (Rocked in Love Book 1) Page 4
